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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. court — of a king
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. court — of law
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fine — all right
  9. swing — in golf
  10. court — for sport
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stock — goods
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mark — a trace
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com